In The Waiting Line
by annielikesgreen
Summary: Missing scenes from the books between Harry and Ginny.
1. Possession

_1: Possession_

* * *

_"We wanted to talk to you, Harry," said Ginny, "but as you've been hiding ever since we got back –"_

_"I didn't want anyone to talk to me," said Harry, who was feeling more and more nettled._

_"Well, that was a bit stupid of you," said Ginny angrily, "seeing as you don't know anyone but me who's been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels."_

_Harry remained quite still as the impact of these words hit him. Then he wheeled round._

_"I forgot," he said._

_"Lucky you," said Ginny coolly._

_"I'm sorry" Harry said, and he meant it. "So…so, do you think I'm being possessed, then?"_

_"Well, can you remember everything you've been doing?" Ginny asked. "Are there big blank periods where you don't know what you've been up to?"_

_Harry racked his brains._

_"No," he said._

_"Then You-Know-Who hasn't ever possessed you," said Ginny simply. "When he did it to me, I couldn't remember what I'd been doing for hours at a time. I'd find myself somewhere and not know how I got there."_

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, PDF, pages 373-374.

* * *

She had made some silly excuse afterwards and had left the room in a great hurry. Not minding her step on the stairs, she had almost ended up bruising her knees, but she had not stopped to check.

She wanted to be anywhere else, anywhere that did not remind her of her first year. The best she could do was to find a place where she could be alone so she could calm down.

12 Grimmauld Place was the exact opposite. Everything in this house screamed Tom Riddle and Dark Magic. This had not bothered her, until today.

She did a good job of ignoring the ominous shadows all around her. She even liked them. She liked being brave and tough and self-reliant. But she wished she could leave this place, either way.

Today of all days, the feeling was sharper because she had been reminded, she had been reminded of her greatest fear: possession.

She could not blame Harry for wanting to be sure. She wouldn't wish that fate on her worst enemy. The problem was, her memory would relive it from time to time. It was fragmentary now, barely coherent. But it made an impact, always, no matter how small.

If only she could erase the memory, deafen the voices. She knew that someday she would be so removed from her past that it would not matter, but she had doubts. Would that day ever come?

The next best thing to leaving 12 Grimmauld Place was distracting herself. And that's what she intended to do.

Sirius had already started decorating the place for Christmas and his cheerful mood was infectious. Everyone in the house was supposed to give a hand.

Ginny threw herself into this task with far too much keenness than usual. She even went back to scrubbing the cabinets she had hated months ago.

And she was certain no one would notice.

Until Harry approached her, two days later, with a guilty look on his face.

She had never thought that, with his present state of mind, he would actually pay heed to her words or even feel bad about what he had said. Not now. Not when he had everything else to worry about.

But she was wrong.

She was hanging garlands on the disused chandeliers in the dining room one morning when his voice almost made her start.

"Do you need any help with that?" he asked gently.

Ginny turned her head slightly but did not look directly at him.

"No, it's okay. I'm almost done anyway," she told him, climbing down the stepladder slowly. "I just have to get some streamers..."

"Listen, Ginny," he began feverishly, clenching his fists, "I'm glad I found you alone. I – I wanted to talk to you, about the other day. I want you to know I didn't mean to play down what happened to you. I know I acted like an idiot and I know I seem absent-minded these days, but I haven't forgotten –"

"Harry, please –" Ginny interrupted him, waving her arm nonchalantly.

"No," Harry continued, shaking his head, "you need to hear this. I was there too, that night when I found you down there. You went through something much worse. I can't imagine what _that_ was like. And I'm sorry I didn't come to you. I really am."

Ginny sighed, lowering her eyes in sadness. You really could never stay or even _be_ upset with Harry Potter. He was just too darn nice, all the time.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Ginny said, half-smiling. "I don't expect the entire world to keep track of my problems. You have enough going on."

"And I'm over it. It's in the past," she added, hoping he would not dwell on this obvious lie.

"You are? You must be a tough one then, because it must be really hard to move on from..." Harry trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"Harry. Stop feeling guilty about me. I'm fine. Feel guilty about being an arse to Hermione and Ron. But not about me," she told him, patting his shoulder weakly.

Harry chuckled shortly.

"I really _have_ been difficult, haven't I?"

"That's a nice way of putting it," she nodded, smirking.

"Still, I should've come to you. I should've asked you. I'm an idiot, sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Ginny asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry chuckled again. "All right, you got me. I'm probably more of an idiot than I know."

Ginny shook her head. "I guess... I guess I wouldn't have come to myself, either."

Harry seemed puzzled by her answer. "What do you mean?"

"Well, when you're wondering if you're going insane you don't go asking people. Especially if...He's involved," she explained.

Harry understood whom she was referring to.

"Is that why you never told anyone-"

"No," she cut him off quickly, "or maybe yes. I mean, if He takes over you, you don't ever feel the need to tell others. He makes sure of that."

Harry felt a shudder travelling down his spine. "That's terrifying."

Ginny shrugged her shoulders, trying to remain more detached than she really was.

"I guess my visions are fairly harmless in comparison," he added, shaking his head miserably. "I'm sorry, Ginny."

She tilted her head sideways.

"You know, you make it really hard not to like you."

Harry's eyes widened suddenly.

"S-Sorry?"

"Oh, no, not like that!" Ginny exclaimed, laughing at his confusion.

"I meant you're so kind and caring and you're always trying to make things better, it's impossible to hate you," she clarified.

"Is it?" he asked, smiling weakly.

"Yeah. It can get a bit annoying actually."

"So I should be more of an arse, for good measure?"

Ginny smirked ruefully. "Don't push it."

There was an awkward pause, during which Harry thought of something else to add to his apology, but Ginny cut him off.

"You should go get some breakfast. It's pretty early," she told him.

"I know. Why'd you think I got up so early? I reckoned you'd be the first one down here."

Ginny frowned. "You've noticed that, eh?"

"We're all trying to get busy."

"Mm. Guess so. Sirius' holiday cheer is unavoidable."

Harry smiled.

"Listen, Gin, if you ever need to talk about – about what happened – I'm here. If you ever need that. Although if you don't want to revisit that memory, I'll understand."

Ginny sighed. "You're right about the second part. Thanks anyway, Harry."

"Don't mention it," he replied, a bit livelier than when he'd come in.

He felt a bit better now, after having talked things out with her, brief as it had been.

Ginny nodded her head and turned back to her task at hand.

"See you in the kitchen," she added, bending down to pick up the decorations.

Harry stared at her figure for a moment. He wanted to tell her how he knew she put on a brave front, because he did the exact same thing every day.

But at the last moment he changed his mind. It was not the right moment. Maybe they would have a proper talk someday.

Ginny heard his steps fade into the hallway and she wondered how it had come to this. There was a gap between them. They weren't as good friends as they were with other people.

They were transitory, just like 12 Grimmauld Place, just like the past.

But maybe that was not such a bad thing. Maybe that was enough for now.


	2. The Longest Night

_2: The Longest Night_

* * *

_If Harry had ever sat through a longer night than this one, he could not remember it. Sirius suggested once, without any real conviction, that they all go to bed, but the Weasleys' looks of disgust were answer enough. They mostly sat in silence around the table, watching the candle wick sinking lower and lower into liquid wax, occasionally raising a bottle to their lips, speaking only to check the time, to wonder aloud what was happening, and to reassure each other that if there was bad news, they would know straightaway, for Mrs. Weasley must long since have arrived at St. Mungo's._

_Fred fell into a doze, his head lolling sideways on to his shoulder. Ginny was curled like a cat on her chair, but her eyes were open; Harry could see them reflecting the firelight._

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, PDF, Chapter 22: _St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries_, page 357.

* * *

At half past three in the morning, Ginny rose silently from her chair, stretching out her numbed limbs. She had not closed her eyes once.

Fred, George and Ron were huddled together, sound asleep, and she could not blame them. This night was never going to come to an end; might as well rest now.

Harry was drowsing off in his chair, head tilted sideways, eyes half-closed and Sirius had his back to her, sitting close by the fireplace.

Her small movements did not seem to wake anybody up. She sighed in relief.

There was a portkey somewhere on the third floor. If she got to it without being noticed, she could transport herself to the city and then to St. Mungo's. She had a vague idea of where it could be.

Once there, her mother wouldn't be able to just send her back home. She would consider it a done deal. And she would finally see her father.

The thought of that gave her the courage to walk about the pitch black empty house with only a wand at her side.

Everything was quiet. She was lucky Walburga Black was fast asleep as well.

There were moments when she felt a presence behind her, but that was not out of the ordinary at 12 Grimmauld Place.

She reached the second floor relatively safe, climbing up the staircase, but just when she was about to step on the landing, she heard a soft noise behind her.

Her breathing stopped. There was another weight on the steps. She felt it. Someone had either popped up right behind her, or they had been following her quietly.

She tightened her grip on her wand and prepared herself to whip around and throw an immobilising spell at whoever had decided to stop her, but Lumos revealed a pair of scruffy sneakers and when a hand grabbed her wrist, she suddenly recognized him, without being able to see his face.

She let out a deep breath.

"Why'd you do that for? You scared me!" she panted.

"What do you think you're doing, Ginny?" Harry asked, his voice filled with concern.

"What are _you_ doing, Harry? Following me around like that?"

"Sorry, I just thought you were going somewhere."

"And you couldn't let me know you were breathing down my neck?" she snapped, yanking her arm away.

"I wasn't sure what you were up to. I wanted to make sure you... weren't leaving Grimmauld," he replied steadily.

She could see his face now because her wand was pointed straight at him. Her own deadly pale complexion was reflected in his glasses and it made her flinch.

"And what if I were?" she asked defiantly. "You lot can't keep me locked in here. I need to see dad. One more person there won't make any difference. The Ministry _won't_ know."

"But how can you be sure of that, Gin? Don't you think _I_ want to go and see him right _now_? Don't you think we all want that?"

"Not enough to actually _do_ something about it!" she whispered furiously. "I can't just stay awake and stare at the fire! I'll go insane."

"Ginny, please, you have to wait while longer. Your mum will come home soon, she'll tell us what to do. We can see him in the morning," Harry pleaded.

"No! It's morning already anyway and I'm done waiting," she muttered, turning her back on him.

"You're putting yourself in danger, not to mention the Order-"

"I couldn't care less about the Order right now."

"You know that's not true. You know you're just as invested as me," he contradicted, coming a step closer.

"Maybe I'm not. You don't know me, Harry. My dad's more important than the Order," she retorted.

"But I _do_ know you. And I know you'd never do anything to put us or your dad in danger," he replied calmly.

Ginny's head whipped around so fast she thought she might pull a muscle.

"But I've done that in the past, haven't I?" she asked coldly.

For a moment, Harry had nothing to say. Her fiery eyes were drilling holes into his chest.

"You're a _part_ of this, Gin. Just like everyone else. You need to accept that. And you need to stay here for now. With us," he said at length.

Ginny shook her head, unable to accept this ultimatum. Her eyes were filling with unshed tears she quickly blinked back.

She turned around and stared walking again, faster, towards the third floor.

Harry lunged after her immediately. She almost avoided him, but he was faster and he pulled her back towards him.

She tried detaching herself, but his Seeker grip was stronger and unrelenting.

"Let me go!"

"No."

"Harry, I'll hex you if you don't!"

"Do it!"

"I swear I will!"

"I know you will," he said, showing her his other empty hand. His wand was tucked in his back pocket.

She held her own aimed at his chest, her fingers wavering slightly.

"Do it," Harry repeated.

"It's not a fair fight," she mumbled into her hair.

Harry sighed heavily.

"Believe me, Ginny, if I could make it happen right now, I would. I'd take you to St. Mungo's myself."

That seemed to have an effect on her.

"Stop doing that!" she snapped.

"Doing what?"

"Trying to fix everything. You can't fix everything!"

For a moment he was taken aback. The truth of her words cut right through him. But he had heard much worse.

He lowered his head. "Well, neither can you."

Ginny's eyes widened. "Wh-What?"

"You can't just go to St. Mungo's and expect everything to get better. He'll still be in danger. _You_'ll still be in danger. And you won't be able to help him, or your mum. Or us. We'll just have an extra person to worry about."

Ginny's heart sank. Although she felt angry at him for saying these things, she knew deep down that he was right.

The sudden realization that, despite her inability to wait, she needed to anyways, for the sake of her family, made her resolve fall to pieces.

Harry felt her going weak in his hold. He searched her eyes for a reaction, but they were blank now.

He let go of her arm.

"I'm so tired," she exhaled.

"I'll go make some tea," she added tonelessly, pushing past him down the stairs.

He waited for a moment to watch her movements in the dark, after which he followed her.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I'm really sorry," he told her, his voice laced with pain and guilt. He wasn't apologizing for stopping her. He was apologizing for her father.

"I know, Harry. I'm sorry too," she mumbled weakly.

Their figures became one with darkness as they extinguished their wands.


	3. Trust

Thank you **PurifiedDrinkingWater** for the lovely review, you're very kind :) And thanks to everyone for reading.

I would like to add that Ginny will inevitably be quite different from chapter to chapter (as will Harry), because I'm going back and forth between books. This chapter takes place during the fourth book, which serves to explain Ginny's behaviour towards Harry at this point in their relationship. Enjoy :)_  
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_3: Trust_

* * *

"_Have you had a good summer, Harry?" said Hermione. "Did you get our food parcels and everything?" _

"_Yeah, thanks a lot," said Harry. "They saved my life, those cakes." _

"_And have you heard from -?" Ron began, but at a look from Hermione he fell silent. Harry knew Ron had been about to ask about Sirius. Ron and Hermione had been so deeply involved in helping Sirius escape from the Ministry of Magic that they were almost as concerned about Harry's godfather as he was. However, discussing him in front of Ginny was a bad idea. Nobody but themselves and Professor Dumbledore knew about how Sirius had escaped, or believed in his innocence. _

"_I think they've stopped arguing," said Hermione, to cover the awkward moment, because Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry. "Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?"_

Rowling J.K_., _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_,_ PDF_, _Chapter 5_: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, _page 38_.  
_

* * *

Ron and Hermione walked out of the room first, chatting idly, leaving Ginny to trail after Harry, with a hopeful expression on her face. She didn't know how to go about this, especially since she was still trying to suppress certain feelings for him, but she wanted to at least be able to talk to him normally. And she was curious as to why they'd changed the subject so quickly.

"So...um, what was that all about?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean, Ginny?" Harry asked, feigning nonchalance.

"Just now, Ron asked if you'd heard from someone and Hermione cut him off," she explained.

"Oh...did Ron ask that? I didn't hear it," Harry lied, trying to keep his smile in place.

"I'm pretty sure you did," Ginny insisted, blushing slightly. "Hermione gave him that look of hers and you – you seemed concerned about it. I know it's none of my business, but is it important?"

Harry coughed awkwardly and shook his head vigorously.

"There's nothing to worry about, Gin. Ron didn't probably mean anyone in particular," Harry offered lamely. "I'll ask him next time."

Ginny frowned. _I don't believe you, Harry._

"But-"

"And it's probably someone you don't know, either way," he added assuringly.

Ginny frowned again._ How do you know that?_

"Well I think," she began bravely, taking a deep breath, "I think it _was_ someone. Someone in particular."

"Ginny-"

"But you don't want to tell _me_," she continued undeterred, "because it's something between you three. Which is all right, I guess, but at least... at least tell me so."

Harry sighed guiltily.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. I wish I could tell you, but I can only afford to tell so many people. It's not because of you."

Ginny blushed again and hid her face behind her hair, as she was wont to do at times. It only lasted a moment though.

She quickly looked up and smiled weakly.

"I understand. But just be honest about it. It's bad enough I'm not included."

"That's not true-" Harry interjected.

"Maybe someday you three will trust me enough to share certain things," she added, staring at her shoes.

"We do trust you, Ginny, but this is more important than that."

As soon as he'd said it he knew it was the wrong thing to say. He just knew it. But he'd said it anyways and it couldn't be undone.

Ginny fought really hard to hide the hurt expression on her face after being told she was not that important. She didn't want Harry Potter of all people to see that she cared. She didn't want anyone to see she cared about something as trivial as that. Because she understood she wasn't that important to begin with. And it pained her.

Before Harry was able to repair his mistake, Ginny smiled a forced cheerful smile and ran towards the kitchen where her mother had just started complaining about the twins anew.

When he entered the room, she and Hermione were already carrying plates to the garden. They were going to eat outside.

* * *

_By seven o'clock, the two tables were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking, and the nine Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep-blue sky. To somebody who had been living on meals of increasingly stale cake all summer, this was paradise, and at first, Harry listened rather than talked as he helped himself to chicken and ham pie, boiled potatoes, and salad._

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 5_: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_, PDF, page 40

* * *

Still, no matter how famished he was or how heavenly Mrs. Weasley's cooking tasted, his contentment was only partial. His eyes kept travelling across the table towards Ginny, who was seated on the opposite side, next to Bill and Charlie, and who was doing a good job of avoiding him and appearing as happy and engrossed in the general conversation as ever. Considering the subject was the Quidditch World Cup, he couldn't blame her. But he had a nagging feeling in his chest that she was still upset.

There was nothing he could do about it now, though. No matter how uneasy he felt, he couldn't just shout an apology across the table. Nor could he make it sound sincere. Despite liking Ginny well enough, he had to admit he did not trust her as much as he did Ron and Hermione and it would be silly to pretend otherwise.

And yet he still wanted to do right by her. In an odd way, Harry wished she could be happy staying out of the loop. He wished they could be just as good friends without having to tell each other everything (especially without him having to tell her everything). He wished he had someone like that, someone on the outside.

As the dinner went on and Percy started blabbering about the many qualities of Barty Crouch Senior, while Fred and George discussed Bulgaria's chances against Ireland, Ron and Hermione drew closer to him, in an attempt to restart their previously interrupted conversation. They were counting on there being enough noise around them as not to be overheard.

Harry, however, was painfully aware that despite all the raucous talking, Ginny was paying close attention to them.

She laughed and cheered Fred on when he mentioned Ireland, she even made a funny comment about Bill's hair, but whenever Ron or Hermione said anything to him, she stopped whatever she was doing, looked in the opposite direction and listened closely.

Harry knew this trick all too well, having lived with the Dursleys for so long.

So when Ron edged closer, looking around carefully and asked him in a quiet voice if he'd heard from Sirius lately, he shook his head and gave him a look that warned him it was not safe to talk.

Hermione spotted Ginny across the table.

"So, Harry, have you seen Crookshanks' ingenious method of catching garden gnomes? It's quite effective," Hermione spoke out loud, rather heavy-handedly.

"Er, no, Hermione, don't think I have, is he as ferocious with the gnomes as he was with Scabbers?" Harry joked, hoping to incite Ron too.

He suddenly heard a clattering of china and he noticed Ginny from the corner of his eye getting up hurriedly. She had an impatient look on her face.

"What's the matter, sis?" Charlie asked good-humouredly.

"I'm not feeling so great. Too much ham pie, I'm afraid. I'll go lie down a bit," she said, looking down.

"Do you need an ailing draught for your stomach, Ginny?" her mother asked gently.

"No, mum, I just need to go," she mumbled crossly.

Without waiting for her mother's reply she excused herself and walked quickly towards the house.

Nobody wondered what had gotten into her, except for Harry. He knew all too well.

And he even had a fleeting impulse to go after her, but he knew it would be a mistake. What could he tell her to make her feel better?

He hated lying.

Ginny would eventually stop wanting to know everything about him. She would realize soon enough what a burden that would be.


	4. Laughter

**Emmylianaa22**: your English is quite all right, actually and thanks a bunch for the review, I'm glad you like the idea of missing scenes:)

I'm posting really fast these days because I have some free time. Enjoy!

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_4: Laughter_

* * *

_In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train. _

_Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run. _

"_Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge._

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, PDF, Chapter 5: _The Dementor_, page 45.

* * *

"They have an odd sort of relationship, don't they?" Harry commented, watching the two blush and sputter uncontrollably as they took out their schedules to compare classes.

"Their matching badges are the ones in a relationship, actually," Ginny muttered more to herself in amusement.

Harry chuckled, raising an eyebrow in surprise. He had not heard sweet, innocent Ginny Weasley make such mean remarks before. Not in his presence anyway. He rather liked it.

When she realized he had heard her, she turned away quickly to hide her embarrassment.

"Good one, Ginny," he said, smiling warmly in her direction.

Ginny made to shrug, but she only managed to shrink into herself more.

"Uh, I'd better go before mum comes over and starts crying. I guess I'll see you – when I see you. Maybe at the feast tonight," she mumbled, growing red.

"And thanks for...what you said," she added as an after-thought, cursing herself inwardly.

"Well, maybe we'll see each other on the train –" Harry began awkwardly, but she had already made her way through the throngs of people on the platform and was nearly gone, only her red mane visible like a meandering flame in the crowd.

Minutes later Harry was standing by the compartment window with Ron and Hermione, waving at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley while his mind went over Arthur's strange parting words to keep safe and not go looking after Sirius Black. _Odd_, he thought, _that he believed I would want to find him. Unless I'm supposed to find him. He did say I might hear things. And that...would make me suicidal enough to go chasing a murderer? _

He shook his head. Less thinking and more talking to Ron and Hermione was in order.

From the corner of his eye he noticed that Ginny was standing some feet away, having followed Ron and Percy on the train. She was waving as well.

"Ginny, dear, I packed you some extra pairs of socks, just in case! They're in Ron's trunk, in the little bag, next to the cauldron!" her mother yelled from the platform.

Ginny's cheeks lit like fire. "Mum, honestly! Ron's trunk? Was Scabber's cage unavailable?"

Harry laughed despite himself. The constraint of having to worry about Sirius Black had kept him on edge. It was nice to have some form of relief.

Ginny whirled around, prepared to glare at whoever had guffawed, but realizing it was actually Harry, she coughed, blushed, went slightly white, blushed again and shook her head self-consciously before grabbing onto her trunk and pushing it down the corridor. Seeing as there was nothing left to do, the three of them set off after Ginny, in an attempt to search for an empty compartment.

When Harry, however, told Ron and Hermione that he needed to talk to them privately, the former turned towards Ginny without any qualms and told her to leave.

"_Go away, Ginny."_

"_Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off. (page 47)  
_

"Ron, you could have been nicer!" Hermione reprimanded him.

"What? That's how we always talk!" Ron reasoned.

Harry stepped back to let Ginny pass and he swore he heard the angry redhead mutter "that's how you talk to your rat, you stupid git" under her breath as she dragged her trunk down the corridor.

He smiled to himself. There was quite a temper hidden underneath that puzzling shyness.


	5. Temper

**lulu**: thanks for the kind words; one of the main reasons I'm writing this story is because I can't get enough of Ginny. I wish she had a more proeminent role in the books, because she is such a great, strong character. anyways I'm thrilled you like it so far:)_  
_

thanks to all my readers, enjoy the new chapter :)

_5: Temper_

* * *

_The door of the nearest greenhouse opened and some fourth-years spilled out of it, including Ginny. _

"_Hi," she said brightly as she passed. A few seconds later, Luna Lovegood emerged, trailing behind the rest of the class, a smudge of earth on her nose, and her hair tied in a knot on the top of her head. When she saw Harry, her prominent eyes seemed to bulge excitedly and she made a beeline straight for him. Many of his classmates turned curiously to watch. Luna took a great breath and then said, without so much as a preliminary hello, "I believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back and I believe you fought him and escaped from him." _

"_Er – right," said Harry awkwardly. Luna was wearing what looked like a pair of orange radishes for earrings, a fact that Parvati and Lavender seemed to have noticed, as they were both giggling and pointing at her earlobes._

"_You can laugh," Luna said, her voice rising, apparently under the impression that Parvati and Lavender were laughing at what she had said rather than what she was wearing, "but people used to believe there were no such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack!"_

"_Well, they were right, weren't they?' said Hermione impatiently. "There weren't any such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."_

_Luna gave her a withering look and flounced away, radishes swinging madly. Parvati and Lavender were not the only ones hooting with laughter now. _

"_D'you mind not offending the only people who believe me?" Harry asked Hermione as they made their way into class. _

"_Oh, for heaven's sake, Harry, you can do better than her," said Hermione. "Ginny's told me all about her; apparently, she'll only believe in things as long as there's no proof at all. Well, I wouldn't expect anything else from someone whose father runs __The Quibbler__."_

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, PDF, Chapter 13: _Detention with Dolores_, pages 195-196.

* * *

Ginny, who had been standing near the entrance, waiting for Luna to speak to Harry and had comforted the girl when she had immerged, angry at Lavender and Parvati, instantly flared up when she overheard Hermione talking about her.

She left Luna at the door and took quick strides to reach the Trio.

"That's not what I actually told you, Hermione. And you would know that, had you not drawn your own conclusions," Ginny began hotly, staring the bushy-haired girl down.

Hermione whirled around, caught off-guard.

"Ginny, I didn't see you there –"

"Obviously, since you spoke of my friend so lightly," Ginny interrupted her. She was very fond of Luna and she would not allow people to speak ill of her without even understanding what she was about.

"Get off your high horse, Gin," Ron interjected. "You know Luna tends to freak out some people, Hermione's not the first."

"Oh, shut it, Ron! Hermione wasn't "freaked out", she just doesn't agree with Luna's view of life. But that's no reason to undermine someone," Ginny retorted, growing redder by the minute.

Harry, who had yet to say something, was much too arrested by this sudden outburst to have any input.

He always found the Weasley temper, especially Ginny's, terrifying and fascinating at the same time.

"And just so you know, Harry can't do better than Luna," Ginny began anew, directing her words at Hermione. "Luna's one of the most loyal people you'll ever meet. Unlike the rest of these prats you're trying to convince. Also, I never told you she believes in things that aren't real, I told you she believes in things that no one else does."

"Ginny, I didn't mean to insult Luna, honestly! I know she's...really insightful, but if she's the only one that believes in something..." Hermione trailed off warily.

"I meant that as a compliment!" Ginny bellowed angrily. "She's the coolest person I know just because she stands up for her beliefs! And who's to say they might not come true? You don't know that!"

"Bloody hell, Ginny, you'll bite someone's head off!" Ron exclaimed surprised. "Hermione's got nothing against Luna!"

"Ron's right, Ginny, I really don't! I just can't condone her – well – her way of thinking, that's all!" Hermione said quickly. "But I'm glad Harry's got someone else on his side, especially someone so...independent."

"You should be!" Ginny echoed, her voice growing less stern.

She sighed, her shoulders sagging.

"Please don't get upset over this, Ginny," Hermione tried again.

"I'm not," Ginny replied darkly. "Sorry, I get really worked up sometimes. But I can't just sit by and watch others judge my friends."

Harry stepped up for the first time since the fight had started.

"I know how that feels, Ginny. And I agree with you completely. Sorry about Luna. I bet she's fantastic and we're just a bunch of dimwits. Wouldn't be the first time," he offered, smiling apologetically.

Hermione wrinkled her nose slightly at being called a dimwit, but she acknowledged at length that she might have been wrong.

Ginny chuckled. "I'd better not hear you lot complain about her again."

"If we do, we'll make sure you're around to defend her," Ron joked.

"Don't worry, I will be," Ginny replied, holding her ground.

"Oh and another thing," she added before leaving the greenhouse. "_The_ _Quibbler_ might not be high-brow, but it's a fascinating read. Give it a try."

With that she was gone, leaving a very conflicted Hermione, a very confused Ron and a very impressed Harry behind.


	6. Cho Chang

new chapter, cuz I'm a busy bee :) thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, it makes my day :)

P.S. Just a reminder that this chapter takes place before the last one. As you've noticed they're not in a particular order, so opinions and feelings will shift slightly (or dramatically in some cases).

You just have to pay attention to the volume and the scene I've taken from the book to be able to tell when things change. Hope that's not too much work:)

.

_6: Cho Chang (I)_

* * *

_At that precise moment the door of their compartment slid open._

"_Oh…hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um…bad time?"_

_Harry wiped the lenses of his glasses with his Trevor-free hand. A very pretty girl with long, shiny black hair was standing in the doorway smiling at him: Cho Chang, the Seeker on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team._

"_Oh…hi," said Harry blankly._

"_Um…" said Cho. "Well…just thought I'd say hello…bye then."_

_Rather pink in the face, she closed the door and departed. Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned. He would have liked Cho to discover him sitting with a group of very cool people laughing their heads off at a joke he had just told; he would not have chosen to be sitting with Neville and Loony Lovegood, clutching a toad and dripping in Stinksap._

"_Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can easily get rid of all this." She pulled out her wand. "__Scourgify!__"_

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, PDF, Chapter 10: Luna_ Lovegood_, page 140.

* * *

The Stinksap vanished instantly.

"I'm really sorry, Harry," Neville repeated in a mortified voice. He probably realized being seen in Stinksap was not the most attractive image.

"It's okay. Cho's used to nastier images. She plays Quidditch, remember?" Ginny said all of a sudden.

Harry glanced over in surprise.

"What?" Ginny asked sheepishly. "She does."

"I know," Harry murmured, lowering his head in embarrassment.

Was it that obvious that he fancied Cho that even Ginny could tell? And was she trying to comfort him or was she being ironic?

"She used to go out with, um, with that Cedric fellow, didn't she? Suppose that's why she came over," Neville intervened, hoping to placate Harry.

Harry didn't know how to reply to that, but he was saved the trouble when Luna Lovegood put down her magazine and cleared her throat.

"That's not why she came over. She clearly likes Harry."

Luna Lovegood, Harry would soon find out, had a very specific, brutally honest, sometimes downright cruel way of stating facts.

Their reactions were to be expected; Neville's mouth flew open while Harry and Ginny both doubled up, the latter more visibly than the former.

"Didn't you see how she blushed and stuttered? Cho Chang usually speaks in full sentences. I should know. She is in my House. Those are clear signs of attachment directed at the recipient of her speech who, in this case, is Harry Potter," Luna concluded, twisting a lock of hair between her fingers distractedly.

Harry tried to suppress the small flicker of joy in his stomach. This strange girl couldn't exactly be relied on.

"Wow, you got all that from a 'hi' and 'bye'?" Neville asked in astonishment.

"Well, either that or she has a terrible case of Wrackspurts," she offered as an additional possibility.

"What are those?" Neville asked warily.

"It's a microscopic creature that flies into your ears and makes your brain go fuzzy," the girl explained, as if it were the commonest thing in the world. "Cho didn't even sense them, most likely. Although I doubt they are the cause, because she would have felt the need to scratch her ears constantly."

Harry and Neville shared a look. They were clearly out-of-depth in the conversation.

Ginny coughed awkwardly.

"Luna's a bit too perceptive for her own good, you see. It's difficult to catch up," she explained to the others, smiling in the girl's direction.

"Girls' reactions are not difficult to deduce," Luna began philosophically. "They tend to be a bit more emotional so they are easier to read. You yourself Ginny exhibited this kind of behaviour when–"

"All right, Luna! That's enough about teenage crushes for now," Ginny interrupted her quickly.

Luna tiled her head unfazed. Ginny was trying to hide her agitation with laughter.

"Well, that's not the case with _you_ now anyway since you have a boyfriend," Luna said dismissively.

Harry looked up in surprise. Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, had a boyfriend?

He knew she was quite pretty for her age and very outgoing to boot, but he had never imagined her with a proper boyfriend before. Probably because she seemed much younger somehow and much more fragile, especially around him. The fact that she was someone's sister didn't help either.

He shook his head, feeling stupid. Of course she had a boyfriend, it was normal for her age, it's not like she still –

But his train of thought was interrupted by Luna once more.

"The real question now, though, is whether you like Cho Chang back."

Everyone in the compartment went suddenly quiet. You could practically drop a pin.

He wished someone would say something, but it seemed that they were all waiting for his answer.

Harry, who had never felt more embarrassed in his life, wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and shrugged his shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant about it.

"I...I don't know," he said finally. "It's kind of a personal question, don't you think?"

Ginny's shoulders sagged almost instinctively. She could already see it on Harry's face and his hesitant words had only confirmed it. He did like Cho.

She shook her head, averting her eyes towards the window. She had to stop reminding herself that she had liked him at one point. There was no point dwelling on feelings that never led to anything, especially since she had stopped having them.

She supposed it was nostalgia. She felt nostalgic about her former crush.

"Oh. Is it personal?" Luna asked disconcerted. "Very well then. You have the right to keep your attachment to yourself."

"It's not attachment –" Harry argued, not happy with Luna's inference, but just then the compartment doors flew open and the elderly lady pulling the food trolley asked them if they had been waiting long.

The subject came to a dead end after everyone made their purchases and started eating, but Harry could still feel Luna's gaze directed at him. And sometimes Ginny's.

It was only much later after Ron and Hermione turned up from their Prefect rounds that he realized he had forgotten to ask her who her boyfriend was.


	7. Fairytale

I hope I'm not getting annoying with these updates :D (they might become less frequent soon, so I'm trying to post more now because I have so many ideas)

Oh, I forgot to thank a reviewer in my last chapter:

**Emmylianaa22**: thanks for another kind review, I'm glad the humour in those chapters worked, you'll be seeing more of that soon and don't worry, your English is fine :)

So without further ado, enjoy!

.

_7: Fairytale_

* * *

_Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring. As Harry hurried toward her, she sat up. Her bemused eyes traveled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Harry, in his blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in his hand. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face. _

"_Harry — oh, Harry — I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy — it was me, Harry — but I — I s-swear I d-didn't mean to — R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over — and — how did you kill that — that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary —" _

" _It's all right," said Harry, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here —"_

"_I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and — w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"_

Rowling J. K., Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, PDF, Chapter 17: _The Heir of Slytherin,_ pages 207-208

* * *

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "Ginny, you almost died! Your parents will be happy you're still in one piece! They won't care what happened."

"But I do! And the p-professors will! They'll blame me, not a diary!" she shrieked, growing more and more desperate.

"Ginny, stop it –"

"And they'd be right!" she suddenly gasped, as if it had just dawned on her. "They'd be right! He might've made me do this, but I was the one who trusted him! Oh, Harry, it's all my fault!"

Harry tried to pat her shoulder, but it ended up more like a hard tap than a comforting gesture.

"No, it's not, Ginny. I trusted him myself for a while, you see. You didn't do all of those awful things. Riddle did. He...he's dead now. Gone forever. I promise."

Ginny sniffed, wiping the tears that kept flooding down her cheeks.

"How do you know that?"

"Because I killed him," Harry stated simply, showing her the Basilisk fang.

It was only now that Ginny noticed the hole in the diary. She drew closer, her nostrils filling up with the metallic smell of blood from his robes and the fang.

She took hold of the diary with shaking hands, touching the emptiness left by the sharp tooth.

"And here's what helped me with the basilisk," Harry added, revealing the sword.

Her eyes widened significantly.

"You slew a basilisk with a sword?"

"Fawkes brought it to me in an old Sorting Hat," he confessed, realizing how absurd that actually sounded.

Ginny was completely amazed.

Hearing the boy she had been secretly in love with for so long say he had murdered the nightmare of her dreams brought a strange, surreal sensation to her stomach that was not altogether unpleasant. It was like in those enchanting fairytales of knights and princesses her mother used to read to her. But at the same time it wasn't like that at all, because there was a side to this story that was not so pleasant. A side that made her stomach churn instead of flutter. Her hero had slain a basilisk and had killed a daemon (for she believed Riddle to be one), which meant he had had the power to do so, and power to someone who had been under a spell for such a long time was terrifying.

Ginny shuddered.

Deep down she did not want to admit to herself or even grasp the fact that there was a sinister resemblance between the boys. Because the moment she had set eyes on young Tom Riddle she had felt instant infatuation. Not only did they look alike but there was a strange aura of mystery and beauty to both of them.

Only one had ended up saving her, while the other had tried killing her and that made all the difference.

"I can't believe you did all of that! That's amazing! You were so brave! I –" she sputtered, her eyes still clogged with tears, "I would've probably frozen up!"

"Fawkes actually did a lot of it," Harry confessed, looking down embarrassed.

"Who?"

"I'll explain later," he said, taking her hand impatiently. "Come on. We have to get out of here."

Ginny looked around and shuddered again. The giant serpents whose mouths lay open like traps made her nauseous. Oddly enough, she was not frightened, only disgusted.

She ran after Harry out of the Chamber, gasping for breath, jumping over the coils of the dead basilisk away from the echoing gloom, back into the tunnel.

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber's entrance, and now Ginny could clearly see it was Phoenix bird. Her brother Charlie had spoken of them many times, but only she had appeared to be interested.

Ron yelped with joy when he saw her safe and sound.

"Ginny, you're okay! I can't believe you're alive! Oh, thank Merlin!"

Harry didn't have time to explain about the bird and the sword; he only mentioned they were Dumbledore's and hoped Ron would be satisfied with this answer until they could talk in private.

He was only mildly surprised that Gilderoy Lockhart had lost his memory. It was only fitting somehow that a fraud would end up fooling himself.

But he might've had a more appropriate reaction had his mind not been filled with images and sensations of his encounter with Tom Riddle. There was a bitter taste in his mouth and part of him felt he had been robbed of something important, an innocence already crumbling.

"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I just feel a bit light-headed, is all. And I want to get out of here, except I don't know how –"

It was then that he noticed Fawkes swooping down and fluttering his long golden tail feathers in front of him.

Harry's eyes widened in understanding.

* * *

"_He looks like he wants you to grab hold…" said Ron, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there —" _

"_Fawkes," said Harry, "isn't an ordinary bird." He turned quickly to the others. "We've got to hold on to each other. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Professor Lockhart —" _

"_He means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart. _

"_You hold Ginny's other hand —" _

_Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting Hat into his belt, Ron took hold of the back of Harry's robes, and Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers. _

_An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. Harry could hear Lockhart dangling below him, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!"_

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, PDF, Chapter 17: _The Heir of Slytherin_, page 209.

* * *

Ron instantly rolled his eyes at that, although his entire face had gone white from being lifted up so high, but Ginny looked around her almost in a daze. She felt her guilt and misery slowly but surely seep away as higher as they got, until there was only her and the knowledge that she was finally safe and free.

And despite the fact that she still couldn't stop the flow of tears, a small smile of wonder broke through.

"No. It's better than magic," Harry said, looking down at Ginny with a small smile of his own.


	8. Nightmare

another fast update, as usual! hope I can keep this up:)

I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. You guys are awesome **(ginnyjalharry**, **WritersNeverDie**, **I-Will-Eat-You-You-Look-Tasty)**.

**Emmylianna22**: I love Luna too:) she'll make another appearance soon.

Okay, so this chapter is a bit (actually much) darker than previous intallments. I hope I did a good job and it doesn't seem too out of place or out of character.

Basically I added, but I also changed a scene.

Enjoy!

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_8: Nightmare_

* * *

_When they finally reached the tents, nobody felt like sleeping at all, and given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in._

_They were soon arguing enjoyably about the match; Mr. Weasley got drawn into a disagreement about cobbing with Charlie, and it was only when Ginny fell asleep right at the tiny table and spilled hot chocolate all over the floor that Mr. Weasley called a halt to the verbal replays and insisted that everyone go to bed. Hermione and Ginny went into the next tent, and Harry and the rest of the Weasleys changed into pajamas and clambered into their bunks. From the other side of the campsite they could still hear much singing and the odd echoing bang. _

"_Oh I am glad I'm not on duty," muttered Mr. Weasley sleepily. "I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating." _

_Harry, who was on a top bunk above Ron, lay staring up at the canvas ceiling of the tent, watching the glow of an occasional leprechaun lantern flying overhead, and picturing again some of Krum's more spectacular moves._

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, PDF, Chapter 9: _The Dark Mark_, page 76

* * *

He missed his Firebolt terribly and was itching to get back on it and try out some of the more daunting feats he had witnessed. The rush of wind on his face, the taste of salt in the air, the smell of wood and sweat, the breathtaking view of the sky stretching beyond his eyes, the feeling of being indestructible and yet so close to perdition, all of these sensations evoked a kind of happiness that seemed possible, a happiness that he might soon revisit. He was lulled into sleep almost against his own will, entranced by these tempting images.

He dreamt he was being called into the arena and he had a proper number on the front and his name written on the back of his billowing robes. Ludo Bagman would be shouting his name in front of thousands. And thousands would cheer senselessly as he soared into the air, above flashing lights. "I give you...Harry Potter!"

He was not entirely sure what woke him up first; the sudden crash of china or someone's loud groan.

The noise was coming from the adjacent tent. He could tell because Ron was snoring happily above him and no one else in their tent had stirred.

He sat awake for a while, wondering if he should get up and see what had happened. It couldn't be worth bothering, though. The girls must have dropped something by accident.

But just when he settled to return to sleep, he heard the groan again, only now it wasn't so much a groan as it was a stifled cry. As if someone were trying to shout, but there was a hand placed over their mouth.

Harry pricked his ears. The sound was becoming clearer and clearer.

Then there was a swish as if someone had parted some curtains and a breeze of fresh air reached his face.

Harry fumbled for his glasses. Clearly, one of the girls had decided to go out. But why so late in the night he could not tell.

He got up silently, careful not to make a single noise as he slipped his feet into his sneakers. If it was a false alarm he didn't want to be responsible for disturbing everyone's sleep.

He would've liked to check the time, but retracing his watch this late would be near impossible.

He held his wand in front of him steadily, hoping that he wouldn't have to deal with a sleep-walker. He knew how dangerous it was to wake them up.

He slipped quietly into the adjacent tent, feeling as though he were trespassing, as he quickly surveyed the beds for the missing head.

At first he didn't notice the absence, but another muffled cry came from somewhere outside the tent and this time, he heard a distinctive name and didn't have to guess any longer.

Harry ran out into the crisp air, pulling his jacket around him, as he looked beyond the tents into the ethereal mist encircling the camp.

There were very few people outside and the ones who were standing guard were sleeping heavily, hands propped under their chins. Bill Weasley was one of them.

He walked hurriedly towards where he believed the sounds were coming from.

"Ginny?" he called out, half in whisper. "Ginny?"

He heard it again. It was somewhere on his far left.

"To-om!"

His heart jumped a little at the sound of that name.

He almost crashed into a heap of luminous shamrocks posted in front of a tent whose occupiers had left them fly about as a sign of victory.

He knew one of those would provide him with far more light than a wand so he grabbed one by its tail and carried it with him.

"T-T-o-! T-T-o-mmm!" Ginny's voice yelped more strongly.

Harry rushed towards the fringes of the camp where a small clump of trees hid the redhead from sight.

"Ginny!"

But Ginny Weasley could not hear him. She could not hear or see anything around her. Her eyes were closed shut and her fists were clenched. She was having another nightmare in the Chamber.

This time around, Tom Riddle was chasing her into a tunnel she had never seen before.

This one was not adorned with serpents. Instead of the giant snake heads that always tried to swallow her whole, she saw with horror half a dozen piers rising into the air, holding the fallen corpses of her family, from her mother and father down to Percy and Bill.

"My sweet, gullible Ginny," Tom was calling from the shadows in the same silky voice she knew too well, "have you ever seen the torches light up at night?"

With a sudden flicker, the piers were on fire.

Ginny screamed in terror.

She tried casting any spell she knew to extinguish them and release her family, but the flames just kept springing up again, with more strength than before.

"Do not try to save them, Ginny Weasley! You are the one who doomed them in the first place!" he bellowed, appearing right before her, in the same school robes she had memorized so vividly.

She turned and ran for it, not caring that the flames were going to engulf her, not even looking back towards her family, because she knew she was going to be the next sacrifice. Those were the words that always followed: "You are next".

There was always some kind of sacrifice, the Chamber always demanded one. And she, usually, was left for last so that she could suffer more.

Jumping through fire she skidded across the wet floor and into a dark corridor.

She heard Tom Riddle's swift steps following her.

"There's no point in running, Ginevra," he called out, his voice echoing against the walls. "You know that better than I."

"Shut up! Shut up!" she yelled in terror. "You won't get to me! Not this time! Not again!"

"And how is this time so different?" he asked and she felt his breath on her neck as he materialized behind her in all his hideousness.

Ginny gritted her teeth, trying to stop her tears.

"Because I have a wand!" she yelled, throwing a jinx which he quickly deflected.

Tom chuckled amused. "You _always_ have a wand, Ginevra."

"And I'll fight back!" she continued undeterred, trying to hit him again. "I'll fight back, Tom!"

"I've heard that one before too," he replied indifferently, deflecting her spell easily.

"I'll fight you because you can't hurt me!" she bellowed angrily.

"Oh, really? Is that what you think?"

"Yes, because I'm alive and you're dead!" she yelled, casting a hex that hit the walls above his head.

Tom raised an eyebrow in interest. "Well, that _is_ new. I'm dead, am I? Then why are you trying to hex me?"

"You were _always_ dead!"

That seemed to cause a reaction because his face contorted horribly and he gave out a shriek, his robes flying up behind him as he rose and bolted right towards her, like an enraged ghost.

"Tom, no!" she yelled, covering her face.

"Ginny! Ginny, please! Ginny, stop! Stop!"

A strong set of fingers gripped her leg and dragged her down towards him. Then another hand came up for the other leg, but she kicked and screamed and tore herself away from his grasp with all the force encompassed in her tiny body.

She could feel scratches on her face and the smell of earth and rain on her clothes.

Her fists opened and her palms felt softness underneath. She grabbed onto a branch near her and got up dizzily.

All she could see was the canopies of trees swaying back and forth menacingly as the mist closed in on her.

Tom had got up himself and was brushing his knees, panting heavily.

"Stay away from me! Stay away!" she shrieked, trying to reach out for her wand.

She gasped. It wasn't there. It wasn't in her pocket.

There was no wand.

And Tom was holding out his, a green light emanating from its tip.

The Killing Curse. Ready to blast into her until she was one with the night.

She froze on the spot, waiting with bated breath.

The most frightening thing was that he was not glaring. He was staring at her with deep concern in his eyes. For some reason, she found it even more torturous.

"Don't do it," she pleaded, her voice barely audible. "Don't look at me like that."

"Ginny! Ginny, it's me! Ginny, wake up!"

The green light fell to the ground.

She blinked in surprise. Tom bent down and picked up a pair of glasses, a pair of glasses she knew well.

He stepped out of the mist and her knees gave out as she collapsed on the ground.

Harry knelt next to her and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly.

"Are you all right? You scared me half to death! Ginny?"

Ginny stared at him blankly. Harry searched her absent eyes with pressing worry.

"It was a nightmare, wasn't it? In the Chamber? Ginny, say something!"

Ginny gasped suddenly, her lungs finally filling up with much needed air and she almost fell into his arms.

"Harry," she began hoarsely, "Harry, where am I?"

"You left the tent a while ago. It was lucky I heard you."

It was then that she saw the luminous shamrock abandoned some feet away. That was what she had taken for the light of a killing curse.

She wiped the tears from her face and pulled back her hair.

"Oh, Merlin, oh, at least it's over."

"You'll be all right now. You're safe."

Ginny nodded her head unsure.

"Do – do you have these often? Do you, do you dream of _him_ often?"

Ginny shook her head, hiding her head in her palms. "It's never gotten like this. I've never - I'm so sorry, Harry."

"You've got nothing to be sorry for, I'm just glad I found you."

She got up by herself, leaning against the tree trunk, but Harry kept a hand across her back in case she lost balance, because she did not seem quite stable yet.

"Ginny," he said, so softly that she almost missed it, "Ginny, did you really think I was...?"

Ginny shook her head again more vigorously.

"Then why couldn't you tell it was me?" he persisted.

But he would not get the answer to that question, because a sudden green light shot up in the air, high above the camp, enveloping the night sky in its halo.

They both looked up in wonder.

Harry thought the Irish had cast another leprechaun formation. But it was nothing like it.

_(...) it was a colossal skull, comprised of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As they watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the black sky like a new constellation._ _(page 83)_

Ginny put her hand to her mouth in shock. Barely had she woken up from a nightmare to be greeted with another.

She and Harry shared a discomposed look.

"What _is_ that?" she asked, her voice trembling.

It was then that Harry heard the loud shouts and screams coming from the camp.

He ran out of the trees, pulling Ginny after him and they were both graced with an apocalyptical image.

Tents were turned up, tiny Firebolts were flying through the air chaotically, shining rosettes and flags were caught in a hellish maelstrom and fires dotted the camp from corner to corner, rising over the green smoke.

"Torches," Ginny whispered behind him.

He could see people everywhere, running amok in complete terror. And among them were dark-hooded figures that seemed to stand still in comparison.

They were throwing hexes and wreaking havoc on anyone around them.

Several people were being levitated into the air and shot up and down as if they were mere puppets.

As he edged closer he realized they were Mr. Roberts, the campsite manager, and his wife and children. All Muggles.

His heart sank.

"Harry. Those figures. They're wearing masks," Ginny told him, disentangling herself from his grasp.

"Come on," he urged her, his voice filled with panic. "We have to find the others. They need us."

They both dived into the chaos bravely, their wands at the ready.

And they held close, they really did, but they soon lost each other.

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope that didn't seem too farfetched. I thought it would be a much more stirring and ominous scene if she and Harry had to see the Dark Mark and face the Death Eaters right after Ginny's nightmarish confrontation with Riddle.

Um, tell me what you think:)


	9. Damaged

new chapter, everyone! hope no one's missed me too much :)

thanks to all the lovely reviewers (23 reviews already, yey!), you've all been very supportive and open to the format and to my insertions or sometimes rewrites of moments from the book :) I feared some would disapprove of some changes, but glad that's not happened :)

**guest**: awww, thank you :)

**Emmylianaa22**: thanks again for reviewing, your patience has been rewarded:) oh and there will be longer chapters later on, when we get to the last two books.

**Guest 1**: thank you, I tried to render it so that it didn't differ too much from the atmosphere Rowling had created in that chapter :)

**Guest 2**: thank you, new chapter is up :D

**PJHPSGfan**: thank you, I'm glad you appreciate the realism, it would be extremely weird if they got together in every chapter seeing as their relationship developed rather slowly (and that for quite a while Harry didn't see Ginny that way). And I hope I am doing J.K. some justice since she's such a fantastic writer :)

Enjoy the new chapter!

.

_9: Damaged_

* * *

"_There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard…" _

_The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Harry's legs. _

"_Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry —" _

"_Hullo, Neville," said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak. _

"_Harry? Is that you? What's happening?" _

"_No idea! Sit down —" _

_There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks. _

"_I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," came Hermione's voice. Harry felt her pass him, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain. _

"_Who's that?" _

"_Who's __that__?" _

"_Ginny?" _

"_Hermione?" _

"_What are you doing?" _

"_I was looking for Ron —" _

"_Come in and sit down —" _

"_Not here!" said Harry hurriedly. "I'm here!" _

"_Ouch!" said Neville. _

"_Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly. _

_Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Harry could hear movements in his corner. _

_None of them spoke. _

_(...)_

_Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Harry's eyes darted downward, and what he saw made his stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, grayish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water…_

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, PDF, Chapter 5: _The Dementor_, pages 52-53

* * *

For a moment, he thought that the figure would seize him and squeeze the life out of him and he even flinched as he imagined those long, shriveled fingers wrapped around his neck, but as soon as he saw it, the hand was gone, as if the creature had read his mind.

Instead, the figure only hovered closer to him and took in a rattling breath that seemed to emanate even more coldness than if he had blown it right in his face.

He realized then, as his shivering became more uncontrollable, that the creature was actually sucking in the air around him and...and something more than air altogether. Something palpable, something warm inside of him, something that fluttered and fought against the movement, something that scratched his throat painfully in an attempt to escape.

Any strand of hope or courage seeped out of him like the fog clearing up after rain. There was only coldness, an immense white territory of coldness that stretched beyond his skin, beyond his chest, beyond his heart...

It was as if he were underwater and he was being dragged downwards, deeper into the folds where the water rushed into his ears and the light was dim and his limbs became numb.

And he noticed, probably the last thing he would notice before closing his eyes, that he was not alone underwater.

There was someone else cowering before him. She was stretched out on the compartment floor, her hand drawn over her face as if she were trying to push the cloaked figure away.

Harry almost had the impulse to jump out of his seat, but there was no "rising", there was only "going down", there was only "sinking".

His eyes rolled up into his head and whoever was struggling below him he could not see anymore. Nor could he see the cloaked figure, he could only feel it enveloping him in a deathly embrace.

And then from far away, he heard a blood-curdling scream, terrifying and harrowing in its despair.

He wondered vaguely, before his conscience slipped away, whether it was his own...

* * *

"_Harry! Harry! Are you all right?" _

_Someone was slapping his face. _

"_W-what?" _

_Harry opened his eyes; there were lanterns above him, and the floor was shaking — the Hogwarts Express was moving again and the lights had come back on. He seemed to have slid out of his seat onto the floor. Ron and Hermione were kneeling next to him, and above them he could see Neville and Professor Lupin watching. Harry felt very sick; when he put up his hand to push his glasses back on, he felt cold sweat on his face_.

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, PDF, Chapter 5: _The Dementor_, page 53.

* * *

Only then did he notice the girl sitting right next to him, having collapsed on the floor herself, a blanket around her shoulders, shaking and crying quietly.

Ginny.

She was trying to hide her face in the folds of the blanket, as if she were ashamed to face him and the others.

"Harry, are you all right? Harry?"

He looked up. Hermione was shaking him softly.

"I - yeah, I'm fine - what happened?" he asked, trying to find his voice.

Ron and Hermione helped him back into his seat and Neville offered Ginny his hand. She took it shakily.

They were seated opposite each other and Harry could see his own reflection in her eyes; they both looked as if they had seen death.

A loud snap made him jump.

* * *

_Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces._

_"Here," he said to Harry, handing him a particularly large piece. "Eat it. It'll help."_

_Harry took the chocolate but didn't eat it._

_"What was that thing?" he asked Lupin._

_"A Dementor," said Lupin, who was now giving chocolate to everyone else. "One of the Dementors of Azkaban."_

_Everyone stared at him. Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket._

_"Eat," he repeated. "It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…"_

Rowling J.K, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, PDF, Chapter 5: _The Dementor_, page 54.

* * *

He strolled past Harry and disappeared down the corridor, leaving them to wonder in horror at the possibility of having a creature from Azkaban stand in their own compartment, ready to kill them.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Ron asked at length, watching him warily.

"Yeah," Harry replied, looking at the now deserted corridor. "What happened? What – what was that thing doing? And who was screaming?"

"No one screamed," Ron supplied nervously.

"What do you mean – I heard screaming, clear as day," Harry protested, looking around the compartment.

Hermione and Neville looked back at him, both very pale.

When his eyes darted towards Ginny's figure, she shook her head vigorously, as if she knew what he was thinking.

Still, Harry insisted. "But I saw – I saw the Dementor attacking you, Ginny."

Her eyes widened considerably. _She_ had not been able to see _him_.

"I-I couldn't even breathe, m-much less scream," she muttered hoarsely.

"Oh..."

He lowered his head in confusion. "I suppose I couldn't either."

"Was no one else attacked?" he asked, looking up again.

Hermione, Ron and Neville all shook their heads.

"Just you and Ginny," Neville told him.

"It wasn't really an attack, though. It – it looked as if they were – sucking out your soul," Hermione spoke, her voice wavering between fear and disgust.

"But we all felt weird," Ron intervened. "Didn't we?"

Neville nodded his head. "It was horrible. It got so cold when they came in."

"Yeah and it was like – it was like I knew I'd never be cheerful again," Ron added darkly.

Ginny shook her head again, pulling the blanket tightly around her. "It was worse."

Harry looked at Ginny and saw his own self again, the self that had almost fallen prey to the clutches of an infernal being.

It reminded him of the Chamber, or at least it reminded him of what Ginny must have felt when she had been lying unconscious on that cold floor.

"Yeah, poor Ginny fell off her seat and that thing just kept standing over her," Neville confirmed, looking at her in commiseration.

Ginny turned her head away so she could avoid his gaze. She could not stand the pity.

"But I fell too, didn't I? I fell too... " Harry trailed off, looking down embarrassed.

"Well, what _could_ you have done against that thing?" Hermione demanded sternly, looking at both him and Ginny as if she were trying to tell them they had nothing to be ashamed of.

But it was yet another form of pity and the two felt even more isolated than before. They had been first to collapse and even though it was irrational to think it, they considered themselves the weak links.

Ginny was struggling to maintain composure, but she was clearly still in shock.

There was a bitter taste in her mouth. No one had been able to help her; no one had been able to stop that thing. Not even Harry. Her darling Harry Potter who had saved her from Tom Riddle himself.

In fact, he had been as much a victim as she had.

And for the first time, Ginny acknowledged something, something that would remain etched in her mind for as long as she lived.

No one, no parent, no sibling, no friend and no idealised young hero could really stand between her and danger, between her and death. She needed to fight her own battles, helpless as she might be.

Harry Potter could not be her guardian angel. She could not turn him into a hero by force, because he needed saving too.

Harry needed help, just like everyone else.

He had not been able to break free from that creature's hold by himself. Neither he, nor Ginny.

And he thought there had to be a reason the cloaked figure had only latched onto them.

The answer came much later when Professor Lupin returned to their compartment and explained how the Dementors had fled after he had cast a spell known to ward them off.

Dementors were drawn to people like him and Ginny, because they submitted much easier, because they relented their souls without putting up a fight. Because he and Ginny harboured a tragedy that could be increased.

Because they were both damaged.

* * *

.

**A/N**: I know, the last few chapters have been sort of depressing, don't worry, there's variety ahead :)

The changes I've made to this passage in the book are motivated by the fact that it made sense to me for Ginny to be just as affected as Harry and for them to be in the same situation. They really are the most damaged.

J.K. herself wrote that Ginny felt the encounter much more deeply than others:_ "Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her." (page 54)_

Clearly, Ginny can empathize with Harry and vice versa. So really, I only dug deeper.


	10. The Yule Ball

new chapter everyone! and you can tell by the title what it's going to be about. Because we can't have a proper Yule Ball without some Ginny and Harry, am I right?

joking aside, I want to thank my reviewers and readers for being wonderful again :D

**Emmylianaa22**: awww, thanks for always dropping by to check for updates, that's really sweet :) this chapter is definitely less sad than the previous, but it's got its share of melancholy. hope you enjoy :)

**guest**: I'm very flattered, thank you:) I'm really happy you agree; that's why I am fascinated with this couple, their story is quite dark and twisted if you break it down. It's actually very compelling. thanks for the encouragement :)

**Derp1**: very glad to hear you liked the ending, it felt like a defining thing for the two :) and I'm happy you like my rendition of Ginny so far. One of my goals is to make her come out of the shadows and take on a more important part in the series.

One more thing, at one point Harry will reference back to a previous chapter, namely chapter 8 which also takes place during Goblet of Fire, but before the events in this chapter. Hope it makes sense.

That being said, enjoy!

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_10: The Yule Ball_

* * *

_It wasn't as bad as it could have been. Harry thought, revolving slowly on the spot (Parvati was steering). He kept his eyes fixed over the heads of the watching people, and very soon many of them too had come onto the dance floor, so that the champions were no longer the centre of attention. Neville and Ginny were dancing nearby - he could see Ginny wincing frequently as Neville trod on her feet – and Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime._

_(...)_

_Harry and Ron spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their corner, neither of them having any inclination to dance. Harry tried not to watch Cho and Cedric too much; it gave him a strong desire to kick something._

Rowling J.K., Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, PDF, Chapter 23: _The_ _Yule Ball_, pages 270-278

* * *

Sometime around midnight, The Weird Sisters started playing slower, more romantic songs for the couples in the audience and a good quarter of the pairs withdrew from the dance floor in what Harry decided was a fairly comical sight. Most of the students (particularly the girls) had made a compromise with their partners; the younger ones got to attend the Ball while the older ones got to have a partner and not look stupid.

Ginny and Neville were a good example of that. They both liked one another enough to come together as friends, but not enough to "hold each other close and feel their heartbeats" as the vocalist had smoothly suggested at the beginning of "Smouldering Hot Cauldrons".

Neville offered to sit this one out and Ginny was more than glad to accept since they had been dancing for quite a while and her feet were getting very sore from Neville's constant missteps.

Among the retreating couples, however, Harry could not unfortunately spot Cho and Cedric. It seems they did not at all mind the change of atmosphere. In fact, they were not only enjoying slow-dancing more than most pairs around them, but they seemed to have done it before too.

Harry swallowed down his jealousy as best as he could. There was no reason to regret not having gone with Cho. He was not very good at social events, not to mention he was a terrible dancer; she would have probably ended up dancing with someone else either way.

Instead he counted down the minutes until he could finally go to bed and wipe the memory of the night's less than successful outing out of his head.

"Oi, Harry – d'you know Parvati's dancing with some Bulgarian bloke?"

Harry woke from his reverie and looked up at the boy standing before him.

"Yeah, Neville. I know. I saw her," he answered drowsily.

Ginny was standing next to Neville looking very tired, but happy. Her soft green dress made her look like a giant Cornish pixie, albeit a much, much nicer looking one.

"You did? Well! Aren't you going to do something about it? He stole your dance partner!" Neville replied, taken aback.

"Well, she asked me if she could go and dance and I was not going to join her any time soon, so I can't really blame her," Harry explained listlessly.

Neville looked even more confused. "But Harry, dancing's wonderful! I had so much fun! Maybe you didn't choose the right partner. Ginny was great!"

The young girl blushed and rolled her eyes in amusement. The boy had never been more exhilarated.

"Neville, that's very sweet, but you nearly killed my feet, you know that?"

"Oh, did I?" he asked, crestfallen. "I'm really sorry, Ginny! You said it was nothing."

"Don't worry, I enjoy being stepped on from time to time and you held out all right for a first dance," Ginny replied, tongue-in-cheek.

"Now, if you could only find Pansy Parkinson and ask _her_ to dance..."she trailed off, smiling mischievously.

Both boys laughed in good humour, Harry in particular, feeling his spirits slightly lifted after spending such a morose evening. He was glad to have friends who could actually make light of the stuffy occasion and not take it too seriously, unlike Ron, who kept scowling at everything around him.

He didn't bother replying much to Ginny's questions.

"What's gotten into you? Did Padma see your dress-robes and make a run for it?" she asked, straight-faced.

Harry rather enjoyed her attempts at getting a rise out of him.

"I'll go find Hagrid and Maxime again. Beats sitting here," Ron muttered after his sister tried to push him out of his chair.

"Hagrid and Maxime? Isn't she the lady from Beauxbatton?" Neville asked, sitting down next to Ginny, who had taken Ron's seat, as intended.

"Yeah, she is. We, uh, we were walking outside and we spotted them talking. Hagrid was trying to romance her, I think. I don't know how half-giants go about it," Harry told them, wincing slightly at the use of the term. He felt quite stupid that he had not known this about Hagrid before Ron had told him about it.

Ginny chuckled. "That's very sweet, actually. But I wouldn't want to see their children. I mean what with Hagrid's facial hair and Maxime's yellow complexion –"

"Oh, Merlin, Ginny! Why'd you have to put that image in my head?" Neville moaned, trying in vain to shake it off. "Now I won't be able to look at Hagrid again!"

"Yeah, you pretty much ruined Hagrid for us," Harry agreed amused.

The three of them continued to talk about several other strange couples they had seen parading across the room that evening (including Mad-Eye Moody and Professor Sinistra) while they indulged in some treacle, when all of a sudden, Neville jumped out as if he had been burnt.

"Ginny, what time is it?" he asked, his face aghast.

The girl took out a small pocket-watch. "It's a quarter to midnight, why? What's happened?"

"Oh, good! It's not midnight yet! Sorry, I just have to get back in the dorm in fifteen minutes!"

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you turning into Cinderella or something?"

Both he and Ginny stared at him nonplussed.

"Um, muggle fairytale, nevermind," Harry mumbled.

"It's not that, it's just Gran said she'd check on me and I'd get a Howler if I was not back by midnight. She's sort of strict, you see."

"Oh. Well, that isn't very nice of her. Not letting you have some fun with your friends. You of all people deserve it," Ginny commented, commiserating.

"Yeah, Neville. You should have a talk with her. She shouldn't be sending you Howlers anymore, you're old enough," Harry agreed.

"Well, the Ball's probably going to end soon anyway, so I won't be missing much," Neville mumbled, swallowing his humiliation.

"Thanks for the lovely evening, Ginny, I had a great time," he said, beaming gratefully.

Ginny smiled back, nodding her head. "Me too."

"See you both in the common room, then. Good night!"

"Poor Neville," Ginny commented, watching him run up the stairs in a hurry, "he was really looking forward to staying up all night."

"Really? Well, I doubt _we'_ll be staying up all night," Harry replied, glancing towards the teachers' table which was by now completely empty.

Only when Ginny looked back at him, puzzled, did he realize what he had said.

He coughed and shook his head embarrassed. "I mean, no – that sounded stupid. I meant the rest of us."

Ginny nodded her head shyly and looked down at her feet, feeling suddenly twice more self-conscious than before.

With Neville gone, they found themselves alone at an empty table, standing next to each other as if they were one of the couples.

Or at least that is what Ginny imagined and instantly regretted.

Harry had almost asked her to the Ball, but she was glad she hadn't had the chance to refuse him, because she was actually sure she wouldn't have refused him at all, which would have only prevented her from making any progress in her quest to suppress the obvious feelings she still had for him.

"Hermione looked really nice. I couldn't believe it was her at first," she began half-heartedly, looking towards the dance floor. "Not that she isn't pretty as a rule. But you know..."

"Yeah, she surprised everyone, I think. No one's ever seen her with straight hair before."

"Or with a Bulgarian Seeker," Ginny added amused.

"That too," Harry acquiesced, smiling. "Ron did not take it so well. He tries and fails not to see her that way," Harry said matter-of-factly.

Ginny was pleasantly surprised that Harry, unlike Ron, was not so immature that he could not acknowledge his friend's ridiculous jealousy. She had thought boys always stuck together and never discussed issues, but Harry was a nice exception.

Of course, Ginny thought rolling her eyes, she always made Harry the exception. She had to stop doing that.

Just then, one of the taller boys from Durmstrang approached their table with an obvious glint in his eye.

He stopped right in front of them, revealing a dazzling smile and very dapper dress robes and asked Ginny for a dance.

She turned slightly red and started explaining how her feet were killing her and that she could not even try standing up, but the boy, who did not have a very clear grasp of English, noticed how she exchanged glances with Harry and upon recognizing him as one of the four champions he waved his hand apologetically.

"I understand – you are dancing vit ze champion! Av course! You are couple, yes?"

Ginny shook her head in horror. She was sure her cheeks were aflame. She could feel them burning. She gestured once more at her feet and tried to make him see the problem, but Harry shrugged it off immediately.

"Find someone else, then, since she's unavailable." He was not exactly kind to anyone who referred to him as "the champion".

The boy smirked and winked at him before turning to the adjacent table.

"Thanks," she muttered, hiding her red face.

But Harry was already lost in his thoughts. It had started snowing and he was looking up at the swirling cotton fluff falling softly from the ceiling, his mind far away.

Ginny followed his gaze. It was a lovely, mesmerising view.

She could stare at it for hours and not get tired. In fact, if she stared hard enough, the entire Great Hall would fade into obscurity and the only thing left would be the snow and the sky.

"Do you – do you still have those nightmares, Ginny?"

She did not move her head or turn towards him, but he could see from the corner of his eye that she was visibly startled.

Ginny had managed not to bring up that memory for an entire evening spent in his presence, but now that he had suddenly breached it, she felt as if she had been thinking about it all this time.

That night at the World Cup would never truly fade away, more so because it wasn't just her memory. It was his too.

He noticed how uneasy the question had made her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I was just...concerned."

He hadn't been able to forget either, but unlike Ginny, who was always unwillingly reminding herself of it, he only remembered when she was around.

"No, it's – it's fine. The dreams are getting better now. Um, sometimes I don't even dream," she replied, her voice tinged with unspoken sadness. "You shouldn't be worried."

It was only half a lie. Her dreams were not as gruesome or frightening as before, but they were not exactly warm or pleasant, either. In fact, she had nearly forgotten what it was like to have normal dreams.

That is why outwardly she was so cheerful and boisterous around her friends and family. She wanted to have the days to herself.

Ginny wondered if she should thank him again for that night, tell him how much he'd helped her and how much it mattered to her still, but she knew that it would sound silly and contrived. He had done his part, but he hadn't eradicated _him_ from her dreams. He had only woken her up. No more, no less. He always seemed to be doing that.

She just wished he wouldn't always associate her with nightmares and Tom Riddle.

As if he had read her mind he told her in what was meant to be a comforting voice,

"I won't bring it up again, if you don't want me to."

And she didn't, so he didn't.

But they both knew it would not last. Harry couldn't _not_ bring up Tom Riddle and Ginny couldn't _not_ want to know.

For now, though, they were glad to bury it in the ground.

The music had stopped.

Harry went outside in search of his friend and he and Ginny parted ways in front of the moving staircase.

* * *

**A/N**: obviously what I meant by "for now" and "it would not last" is that they both certainly address Ginny's possession and Tom Riddle-related experiences in Order of the Phoenix (you can go back to chapter 1 which deals with that in particular:) )


	11. The Bug

Oh, my God, it's been ages since I updated! So sorry everyone for the wait! I got a bit distracted, had some family events to attend and I did some reading. I know, sometimes fanfiction doesn't govern my entire life, it's quite a rarity :))

Anyways, I'm back now with a new chapter which I hope will entertain you as much as it entertained me :)

Many, many hugs and thanks to my wonderful readers and reviewers:

**Emmylianaa22**: Harry does indeed get protective around Ginny, well-spotted :) and Neville is the greatest, he'll pop up again soon :) sorry for the long wait.

**Satinous**: Aww, thank you so much, it's such a treat to hear I managed to render the characters faithfully, I'm really flattered :)

**Guest**: So glad you liked my incorporating that reference :) It will probably happen again some time soon seeing as I'm not very linear :) As for DH and the epilogue, I guarantee there will be a lot of chapters dealing with the gap since it's got the most creative potential, so no worries, we'll get there :)

**Soloz**: thank you! happy to update :)

Please enjoy everyone and leave a comment :D

P.S. For anyone who might be confused by the passage from the book, this takes place the night before Harry's big disciplinary hearing at the Ministry after using underage magic.

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_11: The Bug_

* * *

_He felt as though a brick had dropped into his stomach when Mrs. Weasley turned to him during dinner on Wednesday evening and said quietly, "I've ironed your best clothes for tomorrow morning, Harry, and I want you to wash your hair tonight, too. A good first impression can work wonders."_

_Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny all stopped talking and looked over at him. Harry nodded and tried to keep eating his chops, but his mouth had become so dry he could not chew._

_"How am I getting there?" he asked Mrs. Weasley, trying to sound unconcerned._

_"Arthurs taking you to work with him," said Mrs. Weasley gently._

_Mr. Weasley smiled encouragingly at Harry across the table._

_"You can wait in my office until it's time for the hearing," he said._

_Harry looked over at Sirius, but before he could ask the question, Mrs. Weasley had answered it._

_"Professor Dumbledore doesn't think it's a good idea for Sirius to go with you, and I must say I–"_

_"Think he's quite right," said Sirius through clenched teeth._

_Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips._

_"When did Dumbledore tell you that?" Harry said, staring at Sirius._

_"He came last night, when you were in bed," said Mr. Weasley._

_Sirius stabbed moodily at a potato with his fork. Harry lowered his own eyes to his plate._

_The thought that Dumbledore had been in the house on the eve of his hearing and not asked to see him made him feel, if it were possible, even worse._

Rowling J. K., Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, PDF, Chapter 6: _The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black_, pages 89-90.

* * *

He almost wished he could just sit there forever, eating his chops, without having to get up, wash his hair, put on the ironed clothes or follow Mr. Weasley out of 12 Grimmauld Place into the cool morning air towards an uncertain but positively dreadful future.

Hermione was the first to nudge him in the ribs when she noticed he had stopped listening to any of them and was now contemplating running away in the dead of the night.

"Harry, I think we should just go upstairs now, you've got a lot to do before you go to bed and you need a fresh start tomorrow."

She hadn't meant for it to sound as motherly as it did, but a bit of bossiness from his best friend helped him to acknowledge the fact that with her and Mrs. Weasley keeping watch, he couldn't actually make a run for it.

"Hermione's right, mate. We've got to rehearse what you're going to say tomorrow. Don't worry, we've got it all figured out. Fred and George have come up with this cool routine, it really works on mum..." Ron began, trying to cheer him up.

"All right," Mrs. Weasley interrupted them as she entered the kitchen once more after having led Sirius upstairs, "I want you all out of here in roughly three minutes and by ten I expect most of you to be asleep and dreaming. Is that clear? Harry, darling, you should hurry up and take a bath like I told you to."

Harry went slightly red, but he only nodded his head and decided to oblige her, getting up to leave, followed closely by Ron and Hermione, the former of whom was complaining loudly that "this place is making mum worse with each day!".

The twins couldn't help but snicker behind their backs.

Fred started to coo into Ginny's ear, taking off Mrs. Weasley,

"Ginny, darling, you should hurry up and remove those unflattering pyjamas and undergarments from the bathroom like I told you to."

Ginny instantly flushed and glared at Fred scandalized.

"Shut up! You're disgusting! You know I'd never leave –"

Fred held her gaze and challenged it with a raise of an eyebrow.

"You think I'm lying? Who was the last one to take a shower on the third floor dummy?"

Ginny was about to protest, when her face suddenly went as white as a sheet.

"Bollocks! I forgot about –"

Fred patted her on the shoulder, sympathizing. "No worries, Gin, you've still got about one minute to run up before Harry gets there first."

But she was already gone before Fred had managed to finish the sentence.

She was practically flying up the stairs, not bothering to look where she was going.

On her way she passed Ron and Hermione, who both looked at her as if she had gone completely mental, especially when she made an abrupt turn into the corridor, barely avoiding twisting her ankle, as she rushed towards the bathroom.

But she did not care. Harry Potter could not and _would_ not get there first.

She saw him from afar about to turn the knob of the door and she knew she had to make a run for it.

With an excessive force she did not know she possessed, she collided right into his solid back and pushed him straight onto the bathroom floor with a dramatic thud.

If someone had come up and found them right at that moment, they would have seen Ginny Weasley sprawled on top of a very befuddled Harry Potter, as she struggled in vain to get up, managing only to push Harry's spectacled face further into the wet tiles.

"Ginny! Ginny, s-stop! Hang – hang on!" Harry's muffled cry surfaced midst chaos.

The girl listened to him and let him roll over, face upwards, as she slid next to him and hit her back against the now very open door.

"Harry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to tackle you like this!" she blurted out, wincing at the fresh memory of her assault.

"s'all right Ginny," Harry managed, raising himself on his elbows.

"You're a lot stronger than I thought," he remarked, panting.

Ginny was about to reply, but her eyes suddenly trailed upwards and she was met with the horrific sight Fred had described earlier; pyjamas and undergarments hanging from the towel rack.

Harry was about to follow her line of vision, but she quickly got up, averting his gaze.

"Harry, could you please keep your eyes shut for twenty seconds or so?"

The boy stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"What –"

"Could you just please do it?" she begged, growing more and more embarrassed.

"But why –"

"Please, I'll explain later! I just need you to shut your eyes until I say you can open them. Please."

Although Harry was beginning to suspect the issue was something bathroom-related, he didn't feel any better about having to lie there with his eyes shut while Ginny did Merlin knew what.

But he obliged her anyway.

Ginny mumbled a small thank-you as she quickly rushed to grab her clothes from the rack and fold them into a giant heap that she could safely carry to her room.

When she was done, she leapt past Harry into the corridor and disappeared from sight, forgetting to tell him that she had left.

Harry stood there waiting for several moments, wondering whether Ginny was still in the room and simply not moving or whether she was actually gone.

Needless to say, when he did open his eyes and realized she had indeed left he felt like the biggest idiot alive.

He slowly got up, brushing his knees and surveying his now dirty clothes in amusement and confusion.

He was a little bit irritated but also a great deal puzzled by the entire ordeal.

He was about to close the door and draw the bath, planning to ask Ginny about her outburst after washing up, when she suddenly appeared in the doorway two seconds later.

"Harry – you – I – totally – forgot – I – such – an – idiot! So – sorry!" she breathed out, trying to steady herself as she held onto the door. She looked as if she had run two marathons on her way back.

Harry watched her frantic display, trying to stifle the laughter building up in his throat. You couldn't exactly stay mad at her, could you?

"Er, are you okay, Ginny or do you need me to close my eyes again?" he asked, thoroughly enjoying her anxiousness.

She laughed haggardly and blew a lot of air into his face.

"Oh, Merlin, I really have no excuse, do I?"

"Well, just so you know I'm never doing anything you say again," he clarified in a mock-serious tone.

"Okay, I don't want you to think I'm turning into my twin brothers, I'm not; it's just that I needed to –um –" she trailed off, desperately wracking her brains for a good reason.

"There was this giant bug!" she suddenly exclaimed.

Harry blinked sheepishly.

"Yeah, there was this giant, gross-looking bug on the wall behind you!" she continued with renewed conviction. "And I didn't want you to see it, because it was just really disgusting. So I killed it...which, thankfully, you didn't see either because it was even _more_ disgusting. I was just protecting you, really."

Harry looked behind him at the opposite wall.

"A giant bug, you say?"

"Yes. Green and yellow with large antennae. I caught it in a towel and I left to throw it away," she went on, giving him one terrible lie after another.

"Er, all right, I guess, but how did you know there was a bug before I even opened the door?"

"Huh?" she asked distractedly.

"You were running towards me, before, when you ambushed me into the bathroom," Harry said, reminding her of what had happened mere moments before.

_Crap, _was all Ginny could muster to think.

"Ah, I – yes, that did happen," she began, hot sweat trickling down her spine, "because...because I'd seen that bug earlier today and I knew it was lurking around here somewhere. So, when I heard you were going to the bathroom..."

"You decided to be the hero and warn me?" Harry finished for her, smiling.

Ginny smiled back apologetically.

It was clear as day he didn't believe her and Ginny knew Harry was only going along with her lie because he was tremendously amused. But there was no point owning up to the truth now.

"Um, you know, tomorrow's not such a big deal anyway," she began softly.

Harry's smile melted away. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I know it seems like the world to you now and it is, but it won't be... in the long run. Years from now, you'll just laugh at the memory."

And Ginny did really mean it. She knew how important the hearing was for Harry, but she also knew everything would eventually pass. Time had a way of swallowing it all up. Even the worst things in life faded away at one point. Even the Chamber.

"You think the hearing will be in my favour?"

"I _know_ the hearing will be in your favour. Dumbledore will be there and many other wizards who know who you are and what you've done. They also know Dementors are a bunch of cheating pricks."

Harry laughed despite himself.

"Well-put."

"Yeah, well, everyone's thinking it, I guarantee it."

"Dumbledore came here late last night and he didn't ask to see me – well, you heard what your father said," Harry told her awkwardly.

"Is that what you're upset about?" Ginny asked, folding her arms.

"I know it's sort of stupid, but -"

"Oh, come on, you and Dumbledore both know he wouldn't have been able to do or say anything to help you hours away from your hearing. The best he can do is in front of those wizards tomorrow, not here."

Harry looked at her as if she were much older than he. And a great deal wiser.

"Plus, I can't really imagine him gossiping with the bunch of us over dinner," she added as an after-thought. "Can you?"

Harry chuckled and exhaled a breath he did not know he was holding.

There was a long pause before either of them spoke again.

"So...it was a really big bug, huh?"

Ginny's shoulders relaxed and she smiled, nodding her head.

"Yeah. Enormous. See you in the morning, Harry."


	12. The Ministry Car

hello, my lovelies! back again, sorry for another delay, you've all been brilliant either way :D

**PurifiedDrinkingWater** (I am too flattered by your reviews, you're lovely), **OreoBarrelRacer29** (thanks a lot for reading and reviewing! so glad everyone's liking my additions. this chapter marks the entrance into the sixth book slowly but surely. I'll definitely write up all the possible "deleted" scenes, the one hour, too, of course) **Emmylianaa22** (awww, so sorry to deprive you of your read, hope you enjoy :D and thanks for being such a loyal reader)

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_12: The Ministry Car_

* * *

_It was an overcast, murky day. One of the special Ministry of Magic cars, in which Harry had ridden once before, was awaiting them in the front yard when they emerged from the house, pulling on their cloaks. _

"_It's good Dad can get us these again," said Ron appreciatively, stretching luxuriously as the car moved smoothly away from the Burrow, Bill and Fleur waving from the kitchen window. He, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were all sitting in roomy comfort in the wide backseat. _

"_Don't get used to it, it's only because of Harry," said Mr. Weasley over his shoulder. He and Mrs. Weasley were in front with the Ministry driver; the front passenger seat had obligingly stretched into what resembled a two-seater sofa. "He's been given top-grade security status. And we'll be joining up with additional security at the Leaky Cauldron too." _

_Harry said nothing; he did not much fancy doing his shopping while surrounded by a battalion of Aurors. He had stowed his Invisibility Cloak in his backpack and felt that, if that was good enough for Dumbledore, it ought to be good enough for the Ministry, though now he came to think of it, he was not sure the Ministry knew about his cloak._

Rowling J. K., Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, PDF, Chapter 6: _Draco's Detour_, page 72.

* * *

Matter of fact, did the Ministry even know that Invisibility Cloaks still existed? They were awfully rare, as far as he knew. He was going to keep his secret as long as possible, but he dreaded the day when the Ministry might discover his own "security measure" and confiscate it, ironically, for "safety reasons".

He hoped that day would never come, but as with most things in his life at the moment, he felt he could no longer just keep matters to himself; he was constantly being watched and listened in on, not only by the Ministry who went out of their way to repair their mistake, but also by each member of the Burrow, who were either worried he might blow a fuse about Sirius again or, even worse, decide to run off to fight Death Eaters in an impassioned mission to revenge his godfather. That is why Mrs Weasley, among other reasons, did not permit anyone to talk about the murders and disappearances for too long or in great detail.

What was the point of knowing every single fact about Florean Fortescue's kidnapping if you had no idea or means to actually help him? It would only frighten you more and prevent you from marching on, was Mrs Weasley's philosophy. Better help poor old Florean by marching on than thinking with dread that he might be locked up somewhere.

Harry could do neither; he couldn't put on a facade of strength and optimism, but he couldn't really think about Florean's unfortunate fate either. His mind had chosen to be neutral; the threat of the Prophecy rendered all other worries slightly smaller and even his most painful memories remained arrested while the full force of his future destiny hit him every time with the force of a hurricane.

There were such moments during the day when he would panic; then he'd look around and see Ron and Hermione and they'd reassure him almost unknowingly. He had felt so relieved to finally tell them about the Prophecy and so happy and grateful to see them as adamant about their friendship as before, but there was a small part of him that wished he had had the courage and will to wait; to burden them with the knowledge later.

Now, sitting in the backseat of the Ministry car, his nape rubbing uncomfortably against the leather upholstery, he had that strange sensation again; not quite panic, but close to it; it was a bit like shame or regret that he had told them. Here they were, sitting next to him idly, chatting about what they'd buy when they got to Diagon Alley, how marvellous Fred and George's shop would be (Ron bragged he would get most of their merchandise for free), worrying they would not have enough money for all the textbooks which had somehow doubled in number despite there being fewer classes to attend, and all the while he was casting a gloomy shadow over them and they did not even notice the extent of it. He supposed he was being paranoid and overly dramatic, but he couldn't help it. There was this nagging fear in the pit of his stomach that one day they would end up resenting him and –

"You know, it's very easy to tell when you're being miserable, Harry. You've got an honest face, too honest," a soft voice suddenly whispered into his ear.

He turned around, as if someone had poured hot water over him and he was met with Ginny's inquisitive gaze.

So she had been watching him too, just like everyone else, of course.

"You might want to hide it in front of them. Or you know, stop being miserable," she continued in the same hushed tones.

Harry stared at her, trying to school his features back into his usual amused expression.

"Oh, nice try," Ginny commended him with sarcasm.

"I'm not being miserable, Gin. Just a bit worried. Thinking about the disappearances. I don't know what we'll encounter in Diagon Alley."

"Certainly not Bellatrix Lestrange trying on formal dress robes at Madam Malkin's, I assure you," she quipped, her demeanour perfectly serious and therefore even funnier.

Harry almost suppressed a chuckle.

"That's – that sounds like a pretty terrible prospect, actually. Now I'll feel even worse. "

"Yeah, I know. Manslaughter is one thing, but frilly lace and periwinkle tones? Bellatrix might as well chug off another Azkaban offence."

Harry placed a hand over his mouth.

How did she do it? How did she always find the humour in things? And how did she do it so effectively?

She was talking about his mental state, Death Eaters and manslaughter and yet she was treating them like the common cold.

Was she bluffing? Or was she just smarter than everyone else?

Probably the latter. Laughter always did the trick; it scared the daemons away.

"But honestly now, Harry, you _are_ miserable. And I know why," she said all of a sudden, inching her face closer to his so Hermione and Ron wouldn't hear.

She shouldn't have worried. They were safely ensconced in their own little argument about Ancient Runes and its "uselessness". Mrs Weasley was sending them glares to quiet down but neither was inclined to back down.

"I'm not at all miserable, but enlighten me," Harry indulged her, curiosity getting the better of him.

"You ought to – no, you _need_ to be alone for a while. You know, by yourself. Away from the banter squad to your left," she replied, nodding towards Ron and Hermione.

"I don't mind their antics. I'm actually sort of fond of –" he began, trying to cover the loud remarks coming from them.

"But are you really?" Ginny interrupted him quickly. "What I meant was you need time for yourself to do some thinking and sort your thoughts. Sometimes you need to go off on your own and return when you're done. Of course not physically. You don't have to take a flying car to Spain or something. Just find a place to be alone."

She had said all of this so fast and in such a light tone that he almost thought she was joking again. But her eyes held no mirth this time.

"Ginny, I was alone with my thoughts a good part of summer before Dumbledore –"

"Oh, come on. Those Muggle tyrants don't count. Living with them must be a toil. You can't really be alone there, I suppose. Just lonely. But that's a different story. You're not lonely anymore, but you need to be alone sometimes."

Harry glanced at her eyebrows rising and falling in the rhythm of her words and the way her eyes darkened when she wanted him to understand her. _You're not lonely anymore. _

"Take it from someone who is almost never alone. You come to really appreciate it. It keeps you grounded," she added, brushing some invisible specks of dust off her shirt and Harry realized that growing up as the youngest in such a large family, with an overprotective mother, a band of raucous and domineering brothers, constant visitors or members of the Order around the house and now Fleur, a more irritating intruder, barging in on her life, she must have "gone off on her own" quite a bit.

And now that he thought about it, these past few days he'd really wanted to go out and play Quidditch by himself, not just for Seeker practice, but because he rather enjoyed flying alone, trying to catch the small golden ball while he let his thoughts run back and forth, freely.

_But you need to be alone sometimes._

"Maybe you have a point," he conceded staring past her red locks out the window. "I suppose Hogwarts is big enough for me to find my Spain."

Ginny chuckled, shaking her head. "Sorry if I forced my silly advice on you."

"No, it's probably the wisest I've received in a while. Well, that and always take a very cold bath in the morning and drink skimmed milk afterwards to be in top shape."

Ginny's brows furrowed in confusion.

"One of your future sister-in-law's tips on how she maintains her Veela form in mint condition," Harry explained, smirking slightly.

"Bah! Phlegm is at it again? I didn't know she passes on such useless drivel. No wonder!" Ginny exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "I thought some of our owls had started nesting in her head. Seems I was right."

"You're not thinking out of the box. It's obviously another beauty tip we are not aware of," he commented, smiling.

Ginny laughed, tilting her head back, which conveniently drew the attention of Mrs Weasley and Ron, who was on the verge of losing the argument against Ancient Runes and wanted to avoid the inevitable conclusion.

"What are you two harping about?" he asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

Hermione threw him an "Aha! Nice distraction!" under her breath.

"Nothing you'd ever understand since you're all but proposing to Fleur yourself," Ginny replied, glaring at Ron.

"Ginny!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed. "Please! One brother is quite enough for now!"

"Oh right, I'm the only one who treats her like a proper human being and not a Cornish pixie and I suddenly love her? That's rich!" Ron commented, growing very red.

"You said it yourself, you _looove_ Fleur," Ginny replied, mimicking an enamoured Ron. "Even if she _were_ a Cornish pixie you'd still fancy her. Which is pretty low even for you."

Harry was laughing quietly, part of his anxiety far away, part of it still fresh in his mind. At the moment, he was enjoying the fight quite a bit.

He wouldn't have wanted to miss Ron getting dragged through the mud in such a comical way or Hermione's solid and overly-wrought argumentation for Ancient Runes, or Ginny's lulling, soft voice whispering into his ear, shocking him pleasantly.

But he knew she was right. He wanted to have some time for himself. He needed to simply sit and stare and wait for things to unravel. He needed to feel his own self again, with or without the Prophecy.

He looked forward to having those sessions with Dumbledore. He sensed there might be an opportunity to do just that, if the headmaster allowed it.


	13. Lucky Charm

guys, I know it's been so long, but I've had a couple of important things to attend to in my life and I haven't had as much time to write. I am so touched by all your lovely reviews, thank you so much for sticking to this story, I am so happy I have such lovely readers :) (**Emmylianaa22**, **Guest1**, **PygmyPuffOwl**, **Satinous, PurifiedDrinkingWater **you guys are awesome)**  
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This new chaper contains another reference to Chapter 8 (_Nightmare_) and you will see how and why. You don't have to go back and read it, but it's good to know what it was about :)

The events in this one take place before and during the Third Task in the Triwizard Tournament.

Enjoy!

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_13: Lucky Charm_

* * *

"_Mum - Bill!" said Ron, looking stunned, as he joined the Gryffindor table. "What're you doing here?" _

"_Come to watch Harry in the last task!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. How was your exam?"_

_(...)_

_Fred, George, and Ginny came to sit next to them too, and Harry was having such a good time he felt almost as though he were back at the Burrow; he had forgotten to worry about that evening's task _

_(...)_

_There were more courses than usual, but Harry, who was starting to feel really nervous now, didn't eat much. As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell. _

"_Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."_

Rowling, J. K., Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire_, _PDF_, _Chapter 31:_ The Third Task, _pages 398 - 399.

* * *

Harry had to leave to get ready, he knew that, but he lingered for a few second more because the prospect of getting up and walking out of the Great Hall, accompanied by the raucous applause of all the Gryffindors there, was too painful and frightening to fully grasp. He would be sent off like a war hero, going into battle, when all he really wanted was to stay there with his friends and soak up in that warm feeling of togetherness.

Too late and too soon the reality of it all hit him; there was a chance he might actually...win. And that made losing so much less bearable.

He cast a curious glance around the Great Hall, looking for the other champions and wondering if they were as nervous as he was. Fleur and Krum were nowhere in sight. They had probably already left for the Quidditch Field.

But Cedric was still loitering at the Hufflepuff table and Harry had the misfortune of witnessing a particularly intimate scene between him and Cho Chang. The girl had come to wish him luck for a final time and after kissing him fully on the lips, she had unclasped a beautiful silver necklace she wore around her neck and dropped it in his palm, sealing it with her own.

He couldn't hear them, but he could bet Cho had whispered "for luck" in his ear.

Not that he minded very much; he had come to terms with the fact that Cho was simply never going to look at him the way she looked at Cedric. She might have liked him all right, but he could not compare.

Still, his stomach stirred unpleasantly.

Someone coughed next to him. Ginny pulled her hair out of her face and gave him a shy smile.

"Lost in thought?" she asked, although she knew very well what he was thinking about.

She had noticed his lingering gaze and the object of his attention.

Cho Chang was, indeed, among the prettiest and most talented of Ravenclaw girls. She was the embodiment of grace and elegance; even on a broomstick she managed to have a sense of self that was almost Veela-like.

Ginny didn't like to dwell on these aspects. If she were to enumerate all the brilliant and beautiful girls at Hogwarts she would never finish and she'd be thoroughly depressed at the end, because she didn't count herself among them.

But Harry made her remember where she stood. And it made her feel stupid and self-conscious.

In the past year she knew she had grown in confidence but not nearly enough to pretend she was no longer affected by him or girls like Cho Chang.

Of course she was bolder now, more opinionated, more outspoken and cheerful, having erased bit by bit the mousy First Year who spent all day writing in a cursed diary, but that did not mean that person had been left behind entirely.

Someone inside of her still had terrible nightmares and the events at the Quidditch Cup had only made it crystal clear that this second presence _did_ dwell on everything she tried not to.

She was getting there, though, wasn't she?

She was changing, she was regenerating. She was becoming Harry's _friend_.

"A bit," he confessed. "Suppose I have to go now."

"Hang on," she told him, scurrying through her bag quickly to find what she was looking for. She couldn't do anything for Harry at the moment, couldn't enter the maze with him, but she could give him _this_.

Finally, she pulled out a small object and held it in the palm of her hand.

It was a bell in the shape of a green shamrock.

Bill had bought it for her at the Quidditch Cup and she had kept it with her as a fond memory of her brother.

"I know it's not much, but it's my lucky charm. It got me through Potions this year, so that's got to be something," she lied, growing slightly red.

Of course luck had nothing to do with it. Of course it was only a keepsake she had nearly forgotten about.

But if it did anything to comfort Harry in the slightest, it would be useful, after all.

"So I'm giving it to you," she added, dropping it on the table between them. "For luck."

Harry was struck by the symmetry of the gesture.

"When you're feeling lonely you can just ring it – and maybe you'll feel better."

By now she had probably gone completely red but she didn't care.

He stared at the shamrock in confusion for a few moments, almost unsure if it was meant for him.

He shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips. Of course it was meant for him.

It was very _Ginny_. After all, she would be the only one to think he would get lonely during a Triwizard task.

"You don't have to take it with you, it's probably silly anyways -" Ginny began, embarrassed, noticing the hesitation in his gestures and made to grab the shamrock, but Harry's hand landed on hers, stopping her midway.

"No, I like it. I really like it. I've always wanted a shamrock bell," he joked, chuckling softly.

_Oh, okay, that's great, can you please give me my hand back now? _Ginny thought, trying hard not to look down at his palm covering hers.

The warmth spread to her toes.

He drew his hand away as he took the shamrock and put it in his pocket, and she was left cold once more.

For a moment, they stared into each other's eyes and their thoughts collided. They were thinking back to that night at the Quidditch World Cup; the nightmare, the chase, Tom Riddle, Death Eaters, diving into the crowd together, holding hands. The shamrock had brought it back.

Then he realized, and she realized, he had been carrying a glowing shamrock and, in the midst of confusion, she had mistaken it for the green light of the Killing Curse.

"I'd better go now. Wouldn't want to keep Mr. Bagman waiting," he spoke, his voice hoarse, getting up awkwardly. "Thanks, Ginny."

"Good luck, Harry."

She watched him go, her heart growing smaller and smaller.

What if she had given him a cursed memory instead of a lucky charm?

* * *

_Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he had been hit again by the Cruciatus Curse. The pain was so intense, so all-consuming, that he no longer knew where he was…White-hot knives were piercing every inch of his skin, his head was surely going to burst with pain, he was screaming more loudly than he'd ever screamed in his life –_

_(...)_

_He was going to die like Cedric, those pitiless red eyes were telling him so…he was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it…but he wasn't going to play along. He wasn't going to obey Voldemort…he wasn't going to beg… _

"_I asked you whether you want me to do that again," said Voldemort softly. _

"_Answer me! __Imperio!__" _

_And Harry felt, for the third time in his life, the sensation that his mind had been wiped of all thought…Ah, it was bliss, not to think, it was as though he were floating, dreaming…just answer no…say no…just answer no…_

Rowling, J. K.,Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, PDF,Chapter 34: _Prior Incantatem_, page 426.

* * *

And then he heard it; the soft peal of a little bell in his pocket.

The shamrock, Ginny's shamrock, was playing a song that was familiar to him.

His fingers touched the spot and he felt a jolt that woke him from the trance.

He was not like him. Harry was not Tom Riddle. Tom Riddle was not Harry.

Tom Riddle was Voldemort. It was final and irrevocable.

"I WON'T!" he shouted with all his strength, the words echoing throughout the graveyard.

And he never would.


End file.
